Queensland forward Reuben Cotter was left with a huge lump above his left eye – but it had nothing to do with the alleged face-rake he received from Jarome Luai on Wednesday night.

“It was a tackle in the second half involving Liam Martin,” Cotter said. “I was in the washing machine and sticking my head everywhere.

“Marto is a physical player, he’s a great player – one of the best backrowers in our game – and it’s always a challenge.”

Luai was placed on report and later charged for contrary conduct after placing his hand all over Cotter’s face. Queensland fullback Kalyn Ponga tried to argue with referee Ashley Klein that it was an eye gouge.

“I don’t think it was an eye gouge, I thought he just flopped on me with an elbow, and threw a shoulder in there,” Cotter said. “I didn’t feel a gouge. Someone gave me an elbow or shoulder to the head.”

Luai, who was charged with contrary conduct – and docked 13 per cent of his $30,000 match fee – said of the Cotter incident: “I was a bit fed up, I think he [Cotter] elbowed me, similar to what Zac Lomax did [to Trent Loiero].

“It sums up our night, we didn’t get the 50-50 calls, Lomax does the same thing, and he gets done for it. I felt an elbow, so I reacted to that. I wasn’t going for his eyes or anything like that. It was more a scuffle.”

The physicality in Perth ramped up a few notches from game one at Suncorp Stadium – and Martin was in the thick of it midway through the first half.